1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical instruments for use in the treatment of vertebral bodies, and more particularly to surgical instruments used respectively for: widening a working path; reducing deformity; inserting a filler; and impacting the inserted filler, and to a set of surgical instruments comprised of these instruments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Collapse of a vertebral body as a result of trauma or osteoporosis is referred to as a vertebral body compression fracture in the method that is known for the treatment of this kind of fracture, the collapsed vertebral body is repaired by filling the inside thereof with a filler through a vertebral arch using a transpedicular approach.
In this treatment method, a collapsed vertebral body is first returned to a substantially original shape, that is, a collapsed vertebral body is reduced, whereby a cavity is created therein. A filler such as a bone prosthesis is then inserted into the cavity to repair the vertebral body. This type of procedure is conventionally performed using an instrument such as a probe.
However, a problem exists with the use of this type of probe instrument in that since it is formed from a straight rod-shaped member, there is a case that the collapsed vertebral body can not be satisfactorily reduced.
Further, in the method using such a probe to reduce a collapsed vertebral body, an operator must take great care so as not to fracture a vertebral arch, especially small pedicles of the vertebral arch, thus requiring a high degree of mental and physical efforts.